Merck & Co.

Merck & Co. Breaks Ground on $1 Billion Biologics Center in US

Merck Wilmington Biotech will serve as a launch and commercial production facility and the future US home for Keytruda.

Merck & Co. Acquires Vaccine Site in Ireland from WuXi

As part of its long-term plans in the country, US drugmaker Merck & Co., operating as MSD outside of North America, has acquired WuXi Biologics’ site in Dundalk, Ireland, for about $500 million. The deal was announced through Ireland’s Foreign Direct Investment Agency (IDA) and MSD’s Ireland unit.

Merck & Co. Licenses Obesity Drug from Hansoh Pharma

US Merck & Co., operating as MSD outside the US and Canada, and Chinese biopharmaceutical company Hansoh Pharma have entered into an exclusive global license agreement for HS-10535, an investigational preclinical oral small molecule GLP-1 receptor agonist. GLP-1 receptor agonists are primarily used for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and obesity.

Merck & Co. Licenses Investigational Cancer Drug from LaNova

US drugmaker Merck & Co. (MSD) has entered into a global license agreement to develop, manufacture and commercialize LM-299, a novel investigational PD-1/VEGF bispecific antibody from Chinese biotechnology company LaNova Medicines.

Mestag Signs License and Research Deal with Merck & Co.

Mestag Therapeutics, a Cambridge, UK-headquartered biotech company working on new insights into fibroblast-immune interactions, has signed a license and collaboration agreement with US drugmaker Merck & Co., known as MSD outside of North America, to identify novel targets for the development of therapies against inflammatory diseases.

MSD to Acquire EyeBio for up to $3 Billion

US drugmaker Merck & Co. (MSD) has agreed to acquire privately held ophthalmology-focused biotechnology company Eyebiotech (EyeBio).

MSD Animal Health to Acquire Elanco’s Aqua Business

MSD Animal Health, a division of Merck & Co., announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire the aqua business of Elanco Animal Health Incorporated for €1.2 billion ($1.3 billion) in cash. The acquisition is expected to be completed by mid-year 2024, subject to approvals from regulatory authorities and other customary closing conditions.

Merck & Co. to Acquire Harpoon Therapeutics for $680 Million

US Merck & Co., known as MSD outside of North America, intends to buy cancer drug developer Harpoon Therapeutics for $23.00 per share in cash for an approximate equity value of $680 million.

Merck & Co. to Acquire Caraway Therapeutics

Merck & Co. (MSD) and Caraway Therapeutics announced that the companies have agreed Merck & Co., through a subsidiary, will acquire Caraway Therapeutics for a total potential consideration of up to €557 million ($610 million), including an undisclosed upfront payment and contingent milestone payments.

Daiichi Sankyo and Merck & Co. Collaborate on Three DXd ADCs Worldwide

Daiichi Sankyo and Merck & Co. to co-develop and commercialize three of Daiichi Sankyo’s DXd antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) candidates worldwide except for Japan where Daiichi Sankyo retains exclusive rights. Merck to pay Daiichi Sankyo up to €20.8 billion for the collaboration.

Astex and MSD Expand Drug Discovery Collaboration

UK-based Astex Pharmaceuticals, specialized in the discovery and development of novel small molecule therapeutics for oncology and diseases of the central nervous system, announced an exclusive worldwide research collaboration and license agreement with US drugmaker MSD (in the US, the company trades as Merck & Co).

US Merck Fails to Transfer all Talc Liability to Bayer

A move by US drugmaker Merck & Co. to have Bayer assume all liability for lawsuits alleging that the talc-based Dr. Scholl's foot powder causes cancer has failed, at least in the first instance.

Proxygen and US Merck Collaborate on Molecular Glue Degraders

Austrian biotech Proxygen has announced a multi-year collaboration and license agreement with US drugmaker Merck & Co to identify and develop molecular glue degraders against multiple therapeutic targets. The deal could be worth up to $2.55 billion for Proxygen, based on achieving certain milestones.

US Drugmaker Merck & Co. to Add Jobs in Ireland

US drugmaker Merck & Co. plans to add 100 new jobs as part of an expansion project at its site in Carlow, Ireland, which opened in 2008 as the company’s first vaccines facility outside of the US and currently employs 530 people.

Pfizer to Spend $120 Million on US Paxlovid Buildup

Pfizer will invest $120 million at its plant in Kalamazoo, Michigan, to support US production of its Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir) oral antiviral treatment for Covid-19. The company said the money will fund an expansion of the active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and registered starting materials (RSMs) used to produce the treatment and make it one of the world’s largest producers of APIs.

FDA Greenlights GSK’s MMR Vaccine

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has greenlit GSK’s Priorix-branded GSK’s mumps and rubella vaccine (MMR) for people 12 months and older. It is only the second such shot to be licensed for US distribution in more than 50 years. Merck & Co’s MMR-II vaccine was approved by the FDA for the pediatric application in 1971.

Merck & Co Collaborates with Curve

US pharma group Merck & Co is collaborating with Curve Therapeutics, a privately-held UK biotech that has developed a proprietary functional drug discovery platform called Microcycle. The partners aim to discover and validate modulators of up to five therapeutic targets using Microcycle, initially for oncology and neurology indications.

FDA Advisory Panel Narrowly Votes for Lagevrio EUA

With a vote of 13 to 10, the Antimicrobial Drugs Advisory Committee, an advisory panel to the US Food and Drug Administration, narrowly decided to to recommend emergency use authorization (EUA) of the Covid-19 antiviral pill molnupiravir (brand name Lagevrio) developed by US drugmaker by Merck &Co together with compatriot Ridgeback Biotherapeutics.

Pfizer Lifts Paxlovid Capacity Before EUA is Granted

In response to new data published by rival Merck that downgrade earlier efficacy forecasts for its for Covid-19 oral antiviral treatment, Pfizer has announced will increase production capacity of its own antiviral pill Paxlovid as it waits for an emergency use authorization (EUA) from the FDA.

UK’s MHRA Approves Merck & Co Covid Pill

The UK has “pipped the US at the post”, as one commentator noted in typical British colloquialism on the news that the country’s health regulator MHRA has approved the Covid-19 antiviral pill molnupiravir developed by US Merck & Co together with US biotech Ridgeback Biotherapeutics.

EMA Begins Rolling Review of Molnupiravir

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has begun a rolling review of US Merck & Co’s oral antiviral molnupiravir as a candidate to treat Covid-19. The EU drugs regulator said it would assess data as soon as it becomes available, before the company submits a formal application containing all the required safety and efficacy data.

Merck & Co.’s $11.5 Billion Acceleron Deal May Face Hurdles

US drugs giant Merck & Co. has signed a definitive agreement to acquire publicly traded US biotech Acceleron Pharma for $180 per share, yielding a total equity value of roughly $11.5 billion. Not only because of the size of the transaction, the takeover plans are being closely watched. An activist investor or anti-trust authority could potentially upset the deal, reports suggest.

US to Invest $3 Billion in Pandemic Stockpile

In conjunction with its American Rescue Plan, the administration of US president Joe Biden has announced its intention to spend $3 billion on building a stockpile of pharmaceuticals that can be used to treat Covid-19 and other viral threats of the future.

Drugs and Maybe Covid Vaccines Headed to India

As India’s Covid-19 infections soar and the death toll nears 200,000, wealthier countries – including the US, UK, Germany, France and Australia – are rushing supplies of oxygen, ventilators and protective gear to the subcontinent.

Vaccine Makers Pledge Caution on Covid Rollout

With some potential Covid-19 vaccine makers suggesting they could have a candidate ready for approval and maybe even deployment this autumn, concerns are arising that a doubting public could shun inoculation.

Merck & Co Agrees Cancer Collaborations

US pharma giant Merck & Co is boosting its cancer drug development, adding two more collaborations – with Foghorn Therapeutics and Zymeworks.

Germany again Wins Merck & Merck Lawsuit

Merck & Co Wades into Covid Vaccine Race

Vaccine Research – an Ambitious and Important Venture

US Merck to Spin off $6.5 Billion in Assets

Merck & Co. Takes Calporta for $576 Million

Merck & Co Sheds more than 200 French Jobs

US Supreme Court Remands Fosamax Suits to Appeals

Merck Restructure to Cut Jobs

IRBM and Merck & Co Cooperate on Peptides